Loyal dog stayed by the side of his injured owner when they were cut off by the tide on Cornish beach walk – before helicopter rescuers winched the man to safety but left the heroic pet behind to die
A devoted dog paid the ultimate price as it clung to its injured owner’s side on a beach after becoming trapped by the oncoming tide.
Dramatic pictures show the rescue effort to save the man and his dog after they became stranded on the rocks of Perranporth Beach, Cornwall.
Crews from St Agnes Coastguards, Newquay Coastguard Search and Rescue Team, St Agnes RNLI Lifeboat, and rescue helicopter 924 were dispatched after the man was cut off by the tide on Wednesday afternoon.
Lifeboat members arrived at the scene just as the casualty – who is believed to have fallen from the coastal path above the rocks – was being lifted into the search and rescue helicopter.
Once the man had been airlifted, crew members then worked together to try and find his dog.
Dramatic pictures show the man being airlifted to safety after becoming trapped on the beach in Perranporth, Cornwall. He had apparently fallen from the coastal path
Crews from St Agnes Coastguards, Newquay Coastguard Search and Rescue Team, St Agnes RNLI Lifeboat, and rescue helicopter 924 were dispatched to rescue the man
Edge Safety Officers were put in place to look for the dog over the cliffs and the rocks below.
After some time the dog was spotted, but sadly crew members were unable to rescue it ‘after every effort was made’ to do so.
A spokesperson from St Agnes Coastguard said: ‘The primary duty of the St Agnes Coastguard is to save lives and conduct rescues.
‘It is always challenging when our efforts do not result in the outcome we strive for.
‘We are deeply saddened by the outcome of this particular mission.
‘We extend our condolences to the individual who lost their beloved dog in this incident.’
Eyewitness Bruce Hargrave said the man walking his dog had fallen from the coastal path above Perranporth Beach.
He said some passing holidaymakers from Perran Sands Holiday Park heard his cries for help and dialled 999.
After the coastguard helicopter and RNLI Inshore lifeboat arrived quickly at the scene the injured man was winched into the helicopter and taken to hospital.
The search for his dog continued.
Mr Hargrave said: ‘I had been at the cliffs photographing skylarks for much of the afternoon when I heard the helicopter.
Mobile phone footage shows how precarious the man’s position was after he was airlifted above the raging tides. He is believed to have fallen on to the rocks
‘I initially thought it was an exercise but once I saw a young girl crying and spoke to her mum, I quickly realised it was a real incident.
‘The tide was coming in fast and the beach below the cliffs was underwater.
‘The man had fallen onto the rocks and hurt his leg.
‘His dog had stayed by his side.’
‘There was a big sea running with quite big waves coming in and crashing onto the rocks, but fortunately, a family of holidaymakers on the coastal path had heard his cries for help and called the coastguard.
‘They were all quite emotional.
‘As I left the scene, coastguard personnel on the cliffs were rigging ropes so that they could descend safely to the rocks to continue the search for the man’s dog.’
